This invention generally relates to key cutting machines and related methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to a key cutting machine that has improved alignment, clamping, and cutting mechanisms and to a related method for cutting a notch pattern on a key blank.
Key duplication systems exist that cut biting patterns in blank keys by tracing the original key to be duplicated or by using a code or extracting the biting patterns from a database. The former type is more prevalent in consumer outlets and the latter is more prevalent in businesses such as automobile dealers and rental agencies.
But the tracing and code cutting key duplication systems require precise alignment and clamping mechanisms to maintain the ability to accurately cut keys. These issues are rendered more difficult by the use of double-sided keys, which are more common in the automobile industry.
A key cutting machine described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,504 utilizes a set of cassettes to address the need for proper alignment and clamping of a key. The cassettes may be selectively inserted into an cassette receiving aperture of the key cutting machine and provide both positional alignment function and clamping function while the key cutting machine cuts a bit notch pattern on a key blank. The key cutting machine described in '504 requires an operator to select different cassettes for different key blanks and different bit notch patterns.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for improved key duplication systems that can readily align and clamp keys, particularly double-sided keys. There is a related need to reduce the space occupied by such machines and to provide a machine with a small “footprint” that can be easily transported. Such machines must be capable of accurately cutting keys of a diverse nature with a low level of miscuts.